[rocketraider]

Just re-read this post and I'm thinking Dynamic88 may not be familiar with a carbureted car or may have been driving fuel injected cars so long he's forgotten. They need to fast idle when the engine is first started cold, in order to keep it from stalling.

The fast idle cam etc is linked to the choke thermostat. When the automatic choke is set by pressing the gas pedal to the floor before starting the engine, it moves the fast idle cam to a step that keeps the engine running about 1000 rpm or so until it stabilizes and can stay running. As the choke stat warms up, its spring tension also acts against the fast idle cam so that when you tap the gas pedal, idle speed should decrease to normal idle speed. Once the choke stat is fully hot and spring extended, the choke plate should be fully open and idle speed should be normal slow idle. If it takes longer than a minute, I'd suspect a bad or misadjusted choke stat.

A very remote possibility is that the carburetor heat crossover passage in the intake is plugged with carbon or soot and is not allowing hot exhaust gas to heat the fresh air going thru the choke hot air tube. The hot air tube could also be burned out though you'd notice that as an exhaust leak. A burned out tube can cause excessive fast idle time since the hot exhaust gas is getting into the carb and probably plugging the vacuum passage that draws heated air across the choke stat.

I know some people who insist a car should be allowed to warm up till the choke is fully open before driving off. I don't subscribe to that idea. Let engine speed stabilize, get it off fast idle and you should be able to drive away with no problems as long as you maintain a moderate (30-40 miles per hour) speed until engine is warm.